NSW Police bust alleged reptile black market operation
Police have uncovered an alleged black market reptile operation after an investigation led officers to find more than 257 reptiles valued at more than $1m bound for overseas.
Police & Courts
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A gang has been smashed by NSW police and wildlife authorities after allegedly attempting to smuggle more than $1 million in native reptiles out of the country.
Police claim the mastermind, Neil Andrew Simpson, was paying people to illegally catch protected snakes and lizards which were to be sold on the international black market.
“During the investigation, officers located 257 lizards, which were taken to various zoos and wildlife parks for examination by a vet before being released back to the wild,” said Detective Superintendent Andrew Koutsoufis, the head of the Raptor Squad which combats organised crime.
“We will allege in court this group were catching live lizards and native Australian reptiles to export for profit to Hong Kong. The animals were kept in poor conditions and bound in small containers when they were packaged to be sent.
“This is a cruel crime. Luckily of the 257 reptiles found, all were able to be released into the wild or to zoos, although unfortunately some died before we could get to them.”
During the operation, 24 dead reptiles were located as well as three live snakes and eggs which were examined before being rehomed.
Police allege nine packages with 59 live lizards were intercepted at the mail facility in Sydney in September last year on their way to Hong Kong.
Strike Force Whyaratta was set up with the Raptor Squad working with a specialist unit from the newly formed NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, investigating wildlife crime in NSW.
The lizards were mainly common reptiles such as blue tongues and shingle backs but still fetch up to $5000 each on the black market.
Federal Authorities were also involved with police claiming the reptiles were sourced from all over the country including Western Australia, the Northern Territory, Queensland and NSW.
Police searched a home in Pendle Hill on December 20 where they arrested Natalie Mackie, 41, who was charged with six counts of exporting a regulated native specimen without a permit and was granted bail to appear at Parramatta Local Court later this month.
On December 28, Mathew Fabian, 54, was arrested at Pendle Hill and charged with four counts of exporting a regulated native specimen without a permit or exemption, dealing with property proceeds of crime worth less than $100,000 and participating in a criminal group.
He was released on conditional bail to appear at Parramatta Local Court on January 16.
Further search warrants were carried out at properties Pendle Hill where police found 16 native lizards and eggs in a box addressed to Hong Kong. Another 60 native lizards were found in a storage room.
The next day, Simpson, 59, was arrested while driving at Panania in Sydney’s southwest and charged with 13 offences, including knowingly direct activities of a criminal group, multiple charges of exporting a regulated native specimen without a permit and dealing with property proceeds of crime less than $100,000.
Simpson was refused bail when he appeared at Parramatta Local Court on December 30 and was ordered to reappear at Wyong Local Court on January 17.
“We allege he is the go-to man for criminal syndicates wanting to export Australian wildlife illegally,” Superintendent Koutoufis said.
In 2019, Simpson gave evidence in the trial of former NRL Roosters star Martin Kennedy — who was convicted of reptile smuggling — claiming he gave the ex-footballer $109,000 to breed exotic albino snakes.
Police carried out a further search warrant at East Hills where they allegedly found 118 lizards, three snakes, eight eggs and 25 dead lizards.
On January 5, officers arrested 31-year-old Reece Elson, who was allegedly the snake and reptile catcher, and charged him with dealing in or attempting to deal in protected animals, dealing with property proceeds of crime worth less than $100,000 and participating in a criminal group.
Police found another four lizards hidden in bags at a property in Grenfell.
They also said Elson had access to at least 10 vehicles to transport the snakes from all over the country.
He was refused bail and appeared in Parramatta Local Court on Saturday.
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